Grain elevator and weigher.



' C. BRADFORD 5: G. L. OHATFIELD.

GRAIN ELEVATOR AND VWEIGHER. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 2, 1906.

1,017,735. Patented Feb,20,1912.

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COLUMBIA FLANDGRAPH C0.,WASIIINUTON, n. c.

G. BRADFORD & G. L. CHATFIELD.

GRAIN ELEVATOR AND WEIGHER. 'APPLIUATION FILED APR. 2, 1906.

1,017,735. Patented Feb'.20, 1912.-

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G. BRADFORD 61: G. L. GHATFIELD.

GRAIN ELEVATOR AND WEIGHER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1906.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHESTER BRADFORD AND GEORGE L. CHATFIELD, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA; SAID CHATFIELD ASSIG-NOR 'I'O SAID BRADFORD.

GRAIN ELEVATOR AND WEIGHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 2, 1906.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

Serial No. 309,412.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHESTER BRADFORD and GEORGE L. CHATFIELD, citizens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Elevators and Weighers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of devices which are especially designed for use in connection with threshing machines or separators to receive the threshed grain as it comes therefrom, elevate and weigh the same, and deliver it to sacks or wagons for further disposition.

Our object is to simplify the construction and increase the efiiciency and accuracy of such apparatus, and our said invention principally consists in an improved mechanism for operating and manipulating the weigher.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an elevator and weigher embodying our said invention.

Figure l is a side elevation of such a machine as it appears when mounted upon the side'of a separator ready for use, a fragment of a separator body being shown-the spout gate being open and the weigherbucket gate being closed as when grain is being delivered into said weigher-bucket; Fig. 2 a similar View on an enlarged scale, but with the spout gate closed and the weigher bucket gate open as when discharg ing grain; Fig. 3 a central vertical sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, but with the mechanism in the positions shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a side elevation of the opposite side of the weigher and adjacent parts to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 5 a horizontal sectional view showing the parts which immediately support the weigher bucket in plan, 'with certain parts broken away; Fig. 6 a top or plan view of the complete machine on a still further enlarged scale; Fig. 7 a View similar to Fig. 4 but on a larger scale, and having some parts broken away to show the mechanism more plainly; Fig. 8 a view of the driving gearing' (on a still further enlarged scale) in the position it occupies when the weigher bucket is at rest while being filledthe tripped position of the catch being indicated by dotted lines;Fig. 9 a view similar to Fig. 8 but with the trip shaft and attached parts partly revolved; Figs. 10 and 11 vertical sectional views as seen when looking in the directions indicated by the arrows from the dotted lines 10 10 and 11 11 respectively in Fig. 8; Fig. 12 a rear elevation of the trip plate and the clutch member and the detent carried thereby separately; Fig. 13 a horizontal sectional view at the point indicated by the dotted line 13 13 in Fig. 8, and F ig. 14 a rear elevation of the driving gear of the gate operating mechamsm.

In order to completely illustrate our invention we have shown in Fig. 1 a complete machine mounted on a fragment 21 of a separator. The elevator is shown as secured thereto by suitable attaching devices, as 22 and 23, the latter of which hangs upon a rod or bar 24 carried by brackets 25 on the separator. The cross conveyer 26 (which will not be further described herein, as the same forms the subject-matter of other patents and applications) is also shown as mounted upon this same rod or bar 24 by means of suitable supports 27 and 28.

Our present invention relates only to so much of the machine as is illustrated in the remaining figures of the drawing. The elevator head is composed of a main casting 31, a sheet metal body piece 32, a rigidly attached cap portion 33, and a removable cap portion 34. The casting 31 is preferably of malleable iron, and the sheet metal body portion 32 is riveted or bolted thereto. The cap portion 33 is riveted or bolted to the body portion 32, and the removable cap 34 is secured in place by having its forward edge inserted below the adjacent edge of the part 33, while its other end is secured by a bolt 35 having a nut 36. By removing the nut 36 this cap piece 34 can be taken 011 and access thus had to the interior of the head whenever it may be necessary or desired. The removable cap piece 34 has a flange 37 formed therewith which shuts down over the outside of the edge of the body portion 32, and it also has an inner flange member 38 riveted thereto which shuts down on the inner side of the upper edge of said body piece, so that said edge in effect is within a groove in the removable cap piece when the parts are assembled. Ribs 39 are secured on the inner sides of the head at each side alongside the openings through which the shaft bearings extend and serve as guides and supports for said shaft bearings. The bearing structure 4.0, which is mounted within this head to carry the shaft 30 for the upper sprocket wheel 20 of the elevator, and the means for adjusting the same, are of the same character as the corresponding parts shown and described in Patent No. 7 82,642, to which reference is hereby made for a more complete disclosure of these features.

The head, as a whole, when assembled is secured to the legs ll and 42 of the elevator by means of bolts 43 which engage with suitable ears on the main casting 31 of said head and corresponding ears or flanges 4.4 and 45 secured to the upper ends of said elevator legs. Thus, by removing said bolts 43, the whole head may be easily and quickly removed from and attached to said elevator legs. As the boot 46 of the elevator is attached to said elevator legs by correspond ing bolts l? and 48, we are able to make a machine of any desired height by connecting elevator legs or tubes of the desired length to a standard head and boot ;such heads and boots being kept in stock, and being all uniform. This is of considerable ad vantage to the users of such machines; as, in case the owner of such a machine desires to attach it to a separator of different make and size, he has only to procure these legs or tubes of the desired length, when he is able to use all the remaining parts of the ma chine without change, and to quickly and easily assemble and disassemble the structure.

Upon a forwardly projecting part of the main casting 31 of the head are scale pivots 51 and 52. Upon these the scale frame 53 is mounted, and this in turn has other scale pivots 54 and 55, on which (by means of suitable hanger bars 56) the weigher bucket 57 is suspended. The position of this weigher bucket is controlled-71. 6., undue swinging thereof is preventedby a link 58 connecting the lower portion of said bucket to a suitable bearing on the leg/l2 of the elevator. The scale frame 53 is provided with a projecting arm 59 which serves as a detent to engage with an arm on one of the clutch members of the tripping mechanism, as will be presently described.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, it is necessary in this type of machine to have two gates or valves, each of which shall be closed while the other is open, in order to properly regulate the flow of the grain and enable the same to be weighed in successive predetermined quantities-usually half bushels. One of these gates or valves controls the discharge outlet or snout of the head, and the other the discharge or dumping opening in the bottom of the weigher bucket.- It is, of course, necessary that both these gates or valves should be operated from the same source of power, in order that their movements may be properly timed to each other. The tripping mechanism, as it is called, by means of which the movements of these gates or valves is controlled, is a leading feature of our present invention.

The trip shaft 61 is mounted in suitable bearings formed in piece with or rigidly at tached to the wall of the chamber carrying the adjustable bearing structure 40 for the main sprocket shaft 30 which forms a part of the main casting 31 of the elevator head. A trip plate 62 is mounted thereon to revolve therewith. It is of course preferable that this trip shaft and trip plate should bear a fixed and unvarying relation to the scale mechanism, in order that the latter may be operated uniformly. It is also necessary that the tripping mechanism be intermittently driven from some convenient source of power. The upper main sprocket wheel shaft is the available source of power from which to drive this mechanism, and it is adjustable for the purpose of regulating the tension of the elevator chain. We have therefore found it necessary to provide a yielding or traveling means for transmitting power from the sprocket wheel shaft to the trip shaft. e therefore mount loosely on the trip shaft a combined spur gear and clutch member 63, and mount rigidly on the sprocket wheel shaft a pinion 64, and connect these two by an intermediate floating gear 65, and unite the bearings for these gears by means of the links 66 and 67. By this means the sprocket wheel shaft 30 can be raised and lowered, as is necessary in making the required adjustments, without at all disturbing the position of the trip shaft and the parts carried thereby, or disarranging the driving devices, as the floating gear will travel about the other gears in the arrangement shown and still remain in engagement therewith.

As before stated, the trip shaft 61 and the trip plate 62 are connected to revolve together, while the gear 63 is mounted to revolve loosely on said trip shaft. Consequently, the gears just described are constantly in motion when the elevator is running, while the trip shaft and other tripping mechanism are at rest except when operat-ed at the predetermined times.

As heretofore stated, the scale frame 53 embodies an arm 59 which extends out into proximity to the tripping mechanism. When the weigher bucket 57 is empty, or

contains less than the predetermined load,

so that it is in its upper position due to the scale-weight W (which is mounted in the usual way on the scale-arm 60), said arm 59 extends into the path of a shifting clutch member 71, as is best shown in F igsi l, 7 and 8. When the weigher bucket is filled to the predetermined extent however it will overcome the gravity of the scale weight, with the consequence that the weigher bucket will descend a short distance, throwing up the end of the arm or detent 59 out of the path of the clutch member 71; As best shown in Fig. 12 this member 71 rests against a suitable spring 72, and as soon as said member. escapes from the arm 59 it will fly forward from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 8 to the position shown by the dotted lines therein, whereupon its clutch surface will engage with the corresponding clutch surface on the combined gear-and-clutch-part 63, and thereupon the trip shaft will be rotated, (through the train of gears, the clutch members and the trip plate) as will be readily understood.

It may be here remarked that the clutch in question is a variety of the well known internal rim clutch, and said clutch surface may be of any form sultable to properly engage. Smooth surfaces are reasonably efficient, but we prefer (on account of the character of this Work) to make them serrated, as shown, and we preferably make the serrations of considerable size, as illustrated in the drawings. In the construction shown the internal surface of the'flange on the gear wheel and a shoulder 71 on the arm 71 form the immediately engaging surfaces of the clutch. In order to prevent any possibility of the disk and wheel moving in the wrong direction in respect to each other, we provide a detent 75 mounted in a suitable chamber or recess in the trip plate 62 which will fall into engagement after the rotation is started, as best shown in Fig. 9. The member 71 is mounted as shown on a pivot stud 73, and carries a curved arm or projection 74 on which to mount the spring 72.

The trip shaft 61 carries a crank on each end, one to operate the snout gate and the,

mechanism only operates in one direction mounted on pivots 102 on z. 6., to open the gate-which permits the gate or valve 85 to remain at rest in its closed position for a brief period while the other is open or discharging. The gate is closed by means of a spring 87 mounted in a suitable chamber (preferably formed in the same plate 88 which carries the pivot 86) and which is connected to the arm 84 by a suitable rod 89, all as best shown in Fig. 7. The arm 90 (see Figs. 1 and 2) 1s similar to the arm 84', except that it'does not extend beyond its pivot 91 on the pivot plate 92. i 7 The crank 93 on the opposite end of the tr1p' shaft 61 (see Fig. 2) is connected by means of a link 94 with one arm of the bifurcated lever 95. Said lever extends out over the weigher bucket 57, and is connected by means of a link 96 with the bucket-gate 97 of said weigher bucket. The link is preferably slotted so as to permit of some movement without moving the bucketgate. The arm or lever 95 is mounted on pivots 98 and 99 on the same pivotvplates 88 and 92 which carry the pivots for the arms of the snout gate. Weigher bucket gate 97 is carried 'by arms 101 which are the sides of the weigher bucket, as shown. 1

As best shown in Figs. 6 and 7 we secure to the rear lower portion of the head of the elevator an arm 110 which extends out and forms a rest for the scale beam, and to which also a tally box 111 is secured. This tally box is operated by a link 112, which runs back and is connected to the wrist of the same crank arm 93 which (through the link 94:) operates the weigher bucket operating mechanism.

The operation is as follows: Normally the parts stand in the positions shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 7 and the elevator chain. is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 at considerable speed so that, as the grain is raised in the leg 41 of the structure, the grain is thrown over against the open snout gate 85 and by it deflected downwardly into the weighing receptacle 57. During this time pinion 64 is constantly rotated and this rotates the pinion which, in turn rotates the gear 63. VVhen the predetermined amount of grain has been delivered to the receptacle 57 (depending upon the adjustment of the weight WV), detent 59 is withdrawn from the path of movement of the clutch member 71, whereupon spring 72 will drive this clutch member from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 8 to the position shown in dotted lin,es'in that figure and its clutch surface will engage with the corresponding clutch surface on gear 33, whereupon said gear will serve to rotate shaft 61 and thus, through cranks 93, links 94, lever 95' and link 96, withdraw gate 97 from the bottom of the receptacle 57 and allow the grain to flow freely and rapidly into the conveyer hopper 26. As soon as the gate 97 is opened, the weight of the filled receptacle 57, will be reduced and consequently the counter-weight WV will swing the scale beam back to a position where detent 59 will be in position to engage the clutch member 71 by the time it has returned to normal position so that said clutch member willbe automatically withdrawn from engagement with the gear 63. By the time the clutch member 71 has returned to its normal position, the gate 97 will be closed. The rotation of shaft 61 also operates, during the first part of its movement, through the slotted link 82, to quickly close the snout gate 85, holding this gate closed as long as the gate 97 is opened.

Having thus fully described our said invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. The combination, in an elevator and weigher, of the elevating mechanism, the weighing mechanism, the valves thereof, and a tripping mechanism for said valves, said tripping mechanism embodying a trip shaft, a combined gear-and-clutch member loosely mounted thereon, means whereby the same is driven continuously from the elevator shaft, a member fixedly mounted on the trip shaft and carrying a second clutch part, a finger on said second clutch part, a trip arm carried rigidly by the weighing mechanism and extending into the path of said finger,

1 and a spring carried by said member fixedly mounted on the trip shaft whereby when said tripping finger is raised out of contact with said second clutch part the latter will be thrown forward and engage with the first-named clutch part.

2. The combination, in an elevator and weigher, of the elevating mechanism, the weighing mechanism, a trip mechanism driven from said elevating mechanism and embodying a constantly rotating clutch member, a shaft on which said clutch member is loosely mounted, a second clutch member rotating with said shaft, an arm carried by the scale beam extending into the path of a finger on said second clutch member, said first clutch member being in the form of a flange having an internal operating face, and said second clutch member being in the form of an arm having a portion which extends within and is adapted to engage with said face.

3. 'lhe'combination, in an elevator and weigher, of the elevating mechanism, the weighing mechanism, and a trip mechanism driven from said elevating mechanism and embodying a constantly rotating clutch member, a shaft on which said clutch member is loosely mounted, a second clutch mem ber rotating with said shaft, and an arm carried by the scale beam extending into the path of a finger on said second clutch member, said first clutch member being in the form of a flange having an internal serrated operating face, and said second clutch member being in the form of an arm havinga portion which extends within and is adapted to engage with the serrations in said face.

l. The combination, in an elevator and weigher, of the elevating mechanism, the weighing mechanism, a tripping mechanism driven from the elevating mechanism, an arm extending out from the weigher adapted to engage with one clutch member of the tripping mechanism, a spring adapted to' throw said clutch members into engagement when said arm is removed from the path of said member, and a detent pivotally mounted alongside said second clutch member and arranged to prevent a retrograde movement of said clutch parts.

5. 'The combination, in an elevator and weigher, of the elevating mechanism, the weighing mechanism, and a tripping mechanism for the valves thereof, said tripping mechanism embodying a trip shaft, a clutch member loosely mounted thereon, means whereby the same is driven continuously from the elevator shaft, a member fixedly mounted on the trip shaft and carrying a second clutch part consisting of a shouldered finger, a trip arm mounted on the scale beam extending into the path of said shouldered finger, and a spring carried by the member embodying a constantly rotating clutch member, a shaft on which said clutch member is loosely mounted, a second clutch member rotating with said shaft and consisting of a suitable base and a rigid shouldered pivoted finger carried thereby the shoulder whereof forms the operative clutch face, and means controlled by the weighing mechanism for throwing the operative clutch faces into and out of engagement.

7. The combination, in an elevator and weigher, of the elevating mechanism, the weighing mechanism, and a tripping mechanism driven from the elevating mechanism embodying a constantly rotating clutch member, a shaft on which said clutch member is loosely mounted, a second clutch member rotating with said shaft and consisting of a suitable base and a rigid shouldered pivoted finger carried thereby the shou lder whereof forms the operative clutch diana, this 31" day of March, A, D. one face, means controlled by the Weighing thousand nine hundred and six.

mechanism for throwing the operative clutch faces into and out of engagement, and a detent arranged to prevent a retrograde movement of said clutch parts. Witnesses:

In Witness whereof, We have hereunto set THOMAS W. MoMEANs, our hands and seals at Indianapolis, In- E. W. BRADFORD.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

1 Washington, D. G. 

